The community garden experience < our experience

ONCE A STATION, NOW A GARDEN

by Russ Grayson

This story was first published in ABC Organic Gardener magazine in 2005.

Amadis Lechter has come a long way since The Bees Knees, the gardening business she operated at Blackheath, NSW. Swapping the coolness of the Blue Mountains for Melbourne’s variable climate, she did a stint with Going Solar before becoming project coordinator the Garden of Eden in Albert Park as. A woman with a mission to educate, Amadis also works in sustainability education and eco-city projects such as Green Streets.

A garden where once there was a railwway platform - East Melbourne's Garden of Eden

Work of a visionary

“Dr Michael Dahan was a visionary” says Amadis. “He was inspired by Permaculture (a system of design for sustainable human settlement) and, in 2000, construction of the Albert Park Community Garden got underway. The old Albert Park railway station, at one time a waypoint on the ride from Spencer Street to St Kilda, has been converted into a multiple purpose community garden and training centre.

“A large portion of the station platform was removed to make way for the garden. The heritage railway building has been renovated to include a kitchen and dining area for communal feasting and a generous studio-style bathroom. Beautiful timber floors have been laid and recycled materials used in the open-plan, rustic kitchen. Michael roped in his three brothers to assist with the renovation of the site, two of whom, in 1995, were running the Garden of Eden Nursery and a landscaping business across the tram tracks.

“On the dole and actively pursuing Permaculture rather than dentistry, Michael was approached to set up a Work for the Dole (WFTD) program on site and in 2002 he established the Garden of Eden Foundation, a tax-exempt charity that funds projects that support the Permaculture philosophy and urban food systems.

“Michael’s vision for the site encompassed the Garden of Eden Nursery, Forbidden Fruits Café, the Garden of Eden Incorporated organization and the community garden. He foresaw a sustainable living education site where freshly harvested organic produce, alternative medicine, a bookshop, recycled timbers and associated businesses and services could co-exist to demonstrate ethical business practice, right livelihood and a balance between nature and the city.

“Unfortunately Michael did not live to realise his vision but his legacy continues to unfold through the work of the dedicated people who support his dream for a sustainable future.”

Garden spokeswoman and project manager, Amadis Lechter

Australian City Farms & Community Gardens Network visitors get a guided tour from Amadis Lechter. The garden's cobb oven and cloche (right) for the early starting of seedlings are vsiible.

Busy centre of sustainability

In cooperation with Mission Australia, the Garden has started its seventh Work for the Dole programme and participants will once again be exposed to experience perhaps more varied than at other training centres.

“The Work for the Dole team are on site two days per week and are responsible for maintaining the Community Garden”, said Amadis. “They are also engaged in projects such as the propagation greenhouse, seed saving, drying herbs for teas and creating double glazing for the building with Winter Windows Kits. When the greenhouse is ready, unusual heirloom vegetable seedlings will be availble for sale at the nursery and this micro-business will support a long term volunteer at the garden. Many of the people who come to the garden have slipped through the net of day-to-day life and find that in the community garden their difference is accepted... it is not always without tensions, but things tend to reconcile themselves within a short time.”

Julia Morris, another project coordinator, has been setting up the Garden of Eden Café in another building. The café will offer vegetarian food, some of which will come direct from the community garden. “You will be greeted by the smell of chai, roti channai and fresh vegetable dishes… the café will also provide a forum for guest speakers and a gallery space for artworks with an environmental bent”, said Amadis

‘Railway Talks’ is a catchy name for the Garden of Eden’s monthly guest speaker programme. On these evenings the local community is invited to become involved in the site and to learn about environmental issues, organic gardening and sustainability.

A scarecrow brings a touch of whimsy to the garden

Source of good, organic food

To walk through the Garden of Eden is to pass raised garden beds, mosaic artwork, rotting compost and the odd fruit tree. Volunteers may be busy in the garden which has been designed as a Permaculture demonstration site—there are no individual allotment beds. A Rotaloo composting toilet and rainflush system for the existing toilet are planned and, eventually, the Garden of Eden should be completely self-sufficient in water.

At Garden of Eden, food is a focus. Fresh produce is harvested each day and cooked as a vegetarian feast. “On-site are both a Nectre Baker’s oven, inside, and, outside, a cobb oven. Fresh bread and roasted vegetables are baked in either oven, especially in winter”, said Amadis.

The Garden of Eden crew are extending their influence. In conjunction with Melbourne’s community garden catalyst, Cultivating Community, they recently completed the Braybrook Community Art and Garden Project in North-West Melbourne and have embarked on the re-creation of the community garden on the Flemington high-rise estate.

So, what doesn't work?

Like most non-profit organisations, the Garden of Eden struggles to find consistent funding beyond that offered for individual projects and this acts as a brake on implementing improvements to the site.

“Our four, core staff need to take initiative”, said Amadis, “and we are working hard to foster a group of dedicated committee members who can direct and nurture the future directions of the organisation and developments on and off site”.

Information: Garden of Eden:

Garden of Eden
Albert Park Railway Station
Ferrars Place, South Melbourne,  Victoria 3205
p: 9696 8013
f: 9686 2013
www.gardenofedenproject.net.au <http://www.gardenofedenproject.net.au>

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PAGE UPDATED... Wednesday, 6 June 2007